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Most popular names for cats and dogs revealed

In a countdown of the most popular names for cats and dogs, Bella has come out on top in both categories, digitalspy.co.uk reports.

Research carried out by Veterinary Pet Insurance found that the name was popular with both cat and dog owners, with its success attributed to the hugely popular Twilight franchise, in which Bella Swan – played by Kristen Stewart – is the main female character.

Max, which came out on top last year, also featured twice in the list, being named as the third most popular dog name and ranking second for cats. Lucy, meanwhile, came fourth in the dog list and fifth where cats are concerned, whilst Charlie ranked ninth in both.

Many other names, however, were seen to be much more suitable for one or the other. For example, those looking for a Bailey (second), Daisy (seventh), or Sophie (tenth) may be better off heading in the direction of a dog bed. Cats, on the other hand, were much more likely to take the names Oliver (fourth), Smokey (sixth) or Tigger (tenth).

Typical dog or cat names saw something of a decline, however, only 65 of the 485,000 cats surveyed answering to Fluffy, whilst Fido was taken by only 11 dogs.

Speaking to prweb.com of the results, director of corporate communications at Veterinary Pet Insurance, Curtis Steinhoff, explained: “The popularity of people names doubling as pet names is a testament to the bigger trend of pet owners viewing their pets as members of the family.

“It’s now just as common for a pet to be named Oliver or Chloe as it is for a child.”